Air New Zealand is cutting flights in and out of at least two regional centres because of the fuel crisis.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith and Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford wrote about the cuts on their Facebook pages this morning.
An Air NZ spokesperson said in a media release that the “ongoing impact of high jet fuel costs” had prompted schedule changes in May and June that would affect around 4% of flights and 1% of passengers due to travel.
The Herald has asked Air NZ to identify which towns or cities are affected.
Smith wrote that Nelson was one.
“Air New Zealand has announced today it is canning 70 Nelson flights to and from Wellington, 40 to and from Christchurch and 30 to and from Auckland in May and June in response to the global oil crisis and the very high cost of aviation fuel.”
The move came after 60 flights to the same destinations were cancelled over the six weeks to May 3, Smith said.
“[This means Air NZ] is effectively expanding the flights lost until the end of June. The flights lost are not at the peak times in the mornings and evenings.”
Last month, Air NZ announced a series of cuts to domestic flights across the country as jet fuel prices continue to climb.
While no routes had been removed, 1100 flights would operate at a reduced frequency, with an estimated 44,000 customers affected by the change, Air NZ said at the time.
The latest cuts were “disappointing for Nelson but understandable with no signs of the oil crisis in the Middle East de-escalating”, Smith said.
“It represents the loss of about 8000 seats in and out of Nelson over June and July. This will impact on the number of visitors to the region and make it more difficult for people travelling for work, healthcare and holidaying outside the region.
“The loss of flights also negatively impacts on [Nelson City] Council’s finances as a 50% owner in Nelson Airport Ltd.”
His greatest concern was the impact on tourism, and he encouraged those living in the region to holiday close to home in places such as the Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay and Nelson Lakes “to help our local tourism sector”.
Air NZ had spoken with him last week about the changes, and he emphasised the importance of early and later flights in and out of the city, Smith said.
“I indicated Nelson understood the airline’s predicament in the short term but would look to the full reinstatement of flights and seat capacity when fuel supplies and pricing return to normal.”
Rutherford said Air NZ had told him Tauranga was also affected.
“For the May and June schedule they will be consolidating Auckland services by 27 rotations (averaging four per week), Wellington services by 30 rotations (averaging four per week), and Christchurch services by 10 rotations (averaging one per week).”
This would follow cuts announced last month to the Tauranga network in the six weeks to May 3.
“[These are] Auckland services being reduced by 31 rotations – averaging just one daily rotation most weeks, but maintaining full capacity during April school holidays. Wellington services down by 21 rotations – about three per week on average. Christchurch services reduced by three rotations.”
Air NZ had assured him the changes were a short-term response to the current fuel volatility, and “not a long-term cut to our routes”, Rutherford said.
The airline told him it aimed to switch affected passengers to flights as close as possible to their original times, mainly targeting lower-demand and off-peak services.
“I know how vital reliable air connections are for the Bay of Plenty, whether it’s for business, tourism, family visits or medical appointments. I’ll keep advocating strongly to protect Tauranga’s connectivity,” Rutherford said.
Anyone affected or concerned should contact Air NZ directly for rebooking options, Rutherford said.
“You’re also welcome to email me and I’ll pass your feedback on.”
Air NZ had worked hard to keep disruption to a minimum, the airline’s spokesperson said in a statement this morning.
“The vast majority of impacted customers [will be] still travelling on the same day.”
Affected customers would be told before the end of the week, with refunds or credits available for those whose updated flights don’t suit their plans.
“If you don’t hear from us, your flight is operating as scheduled.”
The changes were “relatively small” compared to other airlines servicing New Zealand, with some having cut capacity by more than 10%, the spokesperson said.
“Like airlines globally, we’re experiencing jet fuel prices that are more than double what they would usually be. This is driving higher costs across the industry, and we’ve made further increases to some airfares to help manage this.
“We remain focused on keeping New Zealanders connected and maintaining a reliable, fuel-efficient schedule.”